EP0651307B1 - Resistive heating control system and method that is functional over a wide supply voltage range - Google Patents

Resistive heating control system and method that is functional over a wide supply voltage range Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0651307B1
EP0651307B1 EP94110100A EP94110100A EP0651307B1 EP 0651307 B1 EP0651307 B1 EP 0651307B1 EP 94110100 A EP94110100 A EP 94110100A EP 94110100 A EP94110100 A EP 94110100A EP 0651307 B1 EP0651307 B1 EP 0651307B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
heating element
electrical heating
duty cycle
control signal
state
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP94110100A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0651307A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow
EP0651307A2 (en
Inventor
Tony Barrett
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HP Inc
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Hewlett Packard Co
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hewlett Packard Co filed Critical Hewlett Packard Co
Publication of EP0651307A2 publication Critical patent/EP0651307A2/en
Publication of EP0651307A3 publication Critical patent/EP0651307A3/xx
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0651307B1 publication Critical patent/EP0651307B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D23/00—Control of temperature
    • G05D23/19—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D23/1906—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means using an analogue comparing device
    • G05D23/1913—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means using an analogue comparing device delivering a series of pulses

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to power control systems and more particular to a method and apparatus to control the amount of power dissipation in a resistive heating element.
  • a switch arrangement presents other problems.
  • a switch arrangement implies that a transformer is used. The switch selects the appropriate primary windings on the transformer. By requiring a transformer, weight and bulk are increased and efficiency is decreased. The transformer, because of its plurality of windings, also adds additional cost.
  • the print media In the art of electrophotographic printing, for example, the print media must pass through a fusing system.
  • the print media In the fuser, the print media is pressed between a pressure roller and a heated roller. By applying heat and pressure, the image on the print media is melted and thereby fused to the print media.
  • the fuser roller may be heated in any manner, a lamp placed inside the fuser roller is the most common method.
  • the printer electronics and paper handling components can be powered by a universal power supply, the bulb is generally selected for the appropriate line voltage. Therefore, either a transformer is used to switch select the proper voltage for the bulb or two separate fuser systems are used, each with a relatively tight voltage range. Thus, the printer could not be made truly universal in power requirements.
  • EP-A-496529 relates to a power control system for a cook top which is adaptable to a plurality of supply voltages.
  • the control in response to an input signal identifying the voltage to be applied, selects the control parameters from a look-up table associated with the identified voltage.
  • the control means is operated in response to the input to select the control parameters from a look-up table associated with the identified voltage and on the basis of the look-up table, a control word is read out, the bit pattern of which establishes the power repetition rate or power switching rate for the load.
  • the power pulse repetition rate is determined on the basis of one of the tables wherein the tables are selected on the basis of the voltage identifying signal.
  • Dependent from the power selection a predetermined number of cycles of the power signal is applied to the heating element. Power levels which are not user selectable are provided, wherein these levels are available to adjust the power applied to the heating unit to overdrive the heater unit when operating a transient heat up mode to rapidly heat the units to radiant temperature.
  • the present invention pulse width modulates the incoming AC power to control the amount of power the heating element dissipates.
  • This arrangement takes advantage of the understanding that the voltage rating associated with commonly available resistive incandescent heating lamps can be ignored over the common AC line voltage range, provided the power dissipation is controlled. Thus, operating a lamp rated at 120 volts and 750 watts at 210 volts with a 33% duty cycle still produces 750 watts. Operating such heating devices at higher voltages with controlled power dissipation appears to have no ill effect on the devices and may even be beneficial to the lamp.
  • MICROPROCESSOR 10 supplies an on/off signal to CONTROL SYSTEM 11.
  • CONTROL SYSTEM 11 in turn supplies the appropriate control signal to ZERO-CROSSING SWITCH (ZCS) 12.
  • ZCS ZERO-CROSSING SWITCH
  • CONTROL SYSTEM 11 must know the approximate line voltage. With this information, CONTROL SYSTEM 11 can then modulate the control signal to ZCS 12 to control the amount of power to HEATING ELEMENT 13.
  • ZERO-CROSSING SWITCH 12 ensures that the power to HEATING ELEMENT 13 is switched during a zero crossing of the input AC voltage. As is understood in the art, such switching reduces the electrical noise generated.
  • a detailed description of the function of CONTROL SYSTEM 11 is provided in a subsequent paragraph.
  • Figure 2 shows a typical input AC power waveform, which is generally a sine wave. If the complete sine wave is applied to the heating element, then the power dissipation is a function of the voltage (V) of the input AC waveform and the resistance (R) of the heating element. Because heating elements' resistance (R) changes over time and temperature, actual resistance is a complex function. However, for simplification the following discussion uses a nominal steady state value of R.
  • line 20 shows a sine wave with a 33% duty cycle.
  • the dotted lines represent those portions of the sine wave that is not applied to the heating element.
  • the control signal 21 used to modulate the sine wave.
  • the present invention uses a zero crossing switch to reduce electrical noise. With a zero crossing switch whenever the input sine wave crosses the zero voltage, the control signal is sampled. If the signal is high, then the switch is turned on for the next half cycle. If, on the other hand, the control is low, the switch is turned off for next half cycle. Therefore, when the control signal is high, the sine wave is applied to the heating element.
  • the duty cycle of the applied voltage can also be controlled.
  • the control signal has a duty cycle (t1/t2) of approximately 33%.
  • a ZCS As an alternative to using a ZCS, if the changes in the control signal are synchronized to zero crossing of the input power, a ZCS is not necessary. Such synchronization can easily be implemented by using a zero crossing detector to output a gating signal to gate the control signal. This synchronization could also be accomplished by detecting a zero crossing in the AC sense signal in real time and only toggling the control signal during those zero crossing times.
  • the heating element will dissipate 2290W for 33% of the time and 0W for 66% of the time for an average of 750W over time.
  • a heating element's resistance is a complex function. Through empirical testing it has been found that the resistance of the above heating element will increase slightly from the nominal value of 19.2. ⁇ Therefore, it may be necessary to increase the duty cycle to produce the proper amount of power.
  • AC SENSE 14 receives the power source signal and generates a signal that identifies the input power voltage level.
  • the signal may be proportional to the input voltage, or in the alternative, may simply represent that the input voltage is within a given range. From this information, the CONTROL SYSTEM 11 can determine the present voltage and necessary duty cycle to provide the desired heating power.
  • CONTROL SYSTEM 11 can be arranged such that the AC SENSE signal selects the proper duty cycle from a limited number of selections. In the alternative, the AC SENSE signal could allow an infinite number of possible duty cycles.
  • One embodiment of CONTROL SYSTEM 11 might be accomplished by using multivibrators.
  • Other embodiments of the CONTROL SYSTEM 11 might include using a counter circuit to divide a clock signal from the MICROPROCESSOR 10 by a known factor to generated the desired control signal.
  • Other detailed implementations of the CONTROL SYSTEM 11 can be made by one skilled in the art. The particular embodiment of the CONTROL SYSTEM 11 is not important to the present invention, provided that the embodiment performs the desired function.
  • FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
  • MICROPROCESSOR 10 directly modulates the control signal to ZCS 12.
  • This arrangement has several advantages. First, a reduced part count leading to higher efficiency and reliability and lower cost.
  • firmware in the MICROPROCESSOR 10 can easily include features such as soft start to prolong the life of HEATING ELEMENT 13 or rapid start to quickly bring the system up to operating temperature. With this arrangement, MICROPROCESSOR 10 can generate the modulation signal (21 of figure 3) directly. Additionally, with either arrangement of figure 1 or 4, the MICROPROCESSOR 10 can turn off and on the HEATING ELEMENT 13 as needed. As stated above, this allows the system to reduce power when heat is not needed.
  • MICROPROCESSOR 10 a logical flow diagram for MICROPROCESSOR 10 is shown.
  • the steps of figure 5 are executed.
  • MICROPROCESSOR 10 must either first determine what the AC line voltage is 31 or make a first approximation.
  • MICROPROCESSOR 10 may either receive a signal that is proportional to the input voltage, or simply a finite number of discrete signals indicating that the voltage is within a given range. Independent of the sensing method, the duty cycle of the control signal must be determined 32.
  • This step may be accomplished by having MICROPROCESSOR 10 actual calculating the duty cycle using equation 6 or in the alternative, a look-up table with pre-calculated duty cycles based on the input AC voltage could be used.
  • a person skilled in the art could devise other methods of determining the duty cycle without undue experimentation.
  • step 33 can be implemented several ways.
  • MICROPROCESSOR 10 can be interrupted at regular intervals. During such intervals MICROPROCESSOR 10 determines if the control signal needs to be toggled and do so if needed.
  • Another approach places the burden of counting and generating the signal in a hardware counter. Other arrangements are possible beyond the two described here. The description of these two are not meant to limit the step of 33 to only these two implementations.
  • MICROPROCESSOR 10 should periodically recheck the AC voltage 34. If the voltage changes by a significant amount, the duty cycle may need to be re-calculated 32. MICROPROCESSOR 10 must also detect when the main system signals to turn the heater off 35 and do so. Other functions can be added to figure 5. For example, a temperature monitor used to signal MICROPROCESSOR 10 if the temperature of heater is within tolerances. Such a temperature sensing device placed near the HEATING ELEMENT 13, while not necessary for the operation of the present invention, may provide real-time information that the microprocessor can use to adjust the duty cycle for proper operating temperature. Information from the temperature sensing device may also indicate that the heating element is operating within certain safety constraints.
  • pulse width, frequency and timing of the applied voltage can be optimized in real time.
  • additional benefits such as soft-start, rapid warm-up, reduced flicker, and constant output can also be implemented.
  • a heating element is most likely to fail during the initial application of power to a cold element.
  • the inrush current can he very high because the cold resistance of the heating element is much lower than the nominal operating resistance.
  • a soft-start allows the heating element than the nominal operating resistance.
  • a soft-start allows the heating element to slowly reach its operating temperature and nominal resistance.
  • the duty cycle can be increased above the nominal operating duty cycle for short periods.
  • the increased duty cycle causes the heating element to output an increased amount of heat.
  • the operating temperature can be reached faster. Assuming the thermal dynamics of the system are sufficient such that the operating temperature can be reached in a relatively short period of time, subjecting the heating element to the increased power dissipation for this short period of time will have no ill effect on the heating element.
  • the heating system can rapidly reach its operating temperature.
  • HEATING ELEMENT 13 may overheat thereby causing a potential safety hazard.
  • Some additional safety measures should be added. Some additions might include AC coupling the control signal to ZCS 12 such that if the signal is not periodically toggled, the signal to ZCS 12 becomes low thereby turning off ZCS 12.
  • Other safety systems might include a thermal fuse or circuit breaker that disables power to the heater element if the temperature is above a preset level. It should be readily apparent that the present invention is compatible with many of these common safety systems. Numerous other safety circuits are possible.
  • this present invention takes advantage of the understanding that the voltage rating associated with commonly available resistive heating element can be ignored over the common AC line voltage range, provided the power dissipation is controlled.
  • the MICROPROCESSOR 11 directly controlled the ZERO-CROSSING SWITCH (ZCS) 12 with no knowledge of the input AC voltage.
  • CONTROL SYSTEM 11 is placed between MICROPROCESSOR 10 and ZCS 12 or MICROPROCESSOR 10 is provided with information about the input AC voltage. Based on the detected AC voltage, the control signal to ZCS 12 is modulated such that the heater element dissipates the same amount of heat independent of the AC line voltage. This enables a heating element designed to operate at a specific AC voltage to operate at greater voltages while still dissipating the correct amount of power.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Control Of Resistance Heating (AREA)
  • Control Of Electrical Variables (AREA)
EP94110100A 1993-10-28 1994-06-29 Resistive heating control system and method that is functional over a wide supply voltage range Expired - Lifetime EP0651307B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/144,597 US5483149A (en) 1993-10-28 1993-10-28 Resistive heating control system and method that is functional over a wide supply voltage range
US144597 1993-10-28

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0651307A2 EP0651307A2 (en) 1995-05-03
EP0651307A3 EP0651307A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1995-06-07
EP0651307B1 true EP0651307B1 (en) 1998-07-29

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94110100A Expired - Lifetime EP0651307B1 (en) 1993-10-28 1994-06-29 Resistive heating control system and method that is functional over a wide supply voltage range

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US5483149A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
EP (1) EP0651307B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JP3662611B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE69412032T2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69412032D1 (de) 1998-09-03
US5483149A (en) 1996-01-09
JP3662611B2 (ja) 2005-06-22
JPH07192843A (ja) 1995-07-28
EP0651307A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1995-06-07
DE69412032T2 (de) 1999-03-25
EP0651307A2 (en) 1995-05-03

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